Crimson Butterfly
by Epik Wonder
Summary: Kanako, completely transformed, transfixes Ochiai and Kei. Feelings change, and a new girl with an interesting history with Kei is added into the mix. Where will heartfelt confessions and dark secrets lead? Chp. 6 soon to come!
1. Chapter 1

**This story was written from a request from Ohimex3. So, be thankful for her for me writing it. Be happy! ^_^**

"Kanako…"

"Kiri-chan?"

"Have you ever considered going out with anyone besides Ochiai?" Kiri twirled her scissors around her index finger. Kanako blushed.

"Well…no, I haven't." she said quietly. Kiri nodded and pushed herself up from leaning against the wall. Kanako looked up from where she was sitting on the floor.

"You should, a pretty girl like you should go out more and everything…" Kanako blushed even more at Kiri's response. Kiri smiled.

The dark-haired girl looked away back into the garden. A single red leaf pulled itself away from its place on one of the tree's skinny branches. The wind suddenly started up, whirling the scarlet butterfly through Kiri's house's doors. It landed smoothly into Kanako's lap. She picked it up and studied it.

The leaf wasn't perfect with some brown scars from old wounds, but the color took her breath away. Kiri studied her friend's expression and face.

"Come on. I'm going to do your hair again, 'kay?" Kiri said. Kanako looked up at her faithful friend, set down the leaf, and followed Kiri back inside.

-----

"Kiri-chaaaan!" A boy eating candy called out to Kiri. Kiri opened her eyes from her sleep-walking to the Fall Festival to wave to Kei. Kiri was wearing a light, blue, pastel kimono. She was followed by a small shadow.

"…Mussy-head…" Narumi greeted. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Koshiba-san." Ochiai said warmly.

"…Kiri-chan, who's that pretty girl hiding behind you?" Kei said. Said girl quickly stepped even closer to Kiri to hide behind her.

"Really, Kanako." Kiri said as she stepped to the side and revealed the girl.

The transformed girl had brown hair with red highlights. It didn't look outrageous like it may have on some people. No, on Kanako, it looked as though it belonged. The two colors were blended so perfectly. Her hair was in a perfect bun pinned up by a beautiful, elaborate butterfly pin. Her darting, nervous eyes were a warm brown with a tinge of blue. Contacts perhaps? She had a small, sweet mouth that was blood red. Her white, porcelain skin looked as if it might turn dirty if you just touched it. She was wearing a red kimono with millions of small, brown flowers that brought out her eyes so well. All three boys were transfixed.

"This…This…This is K-K-Kanako? Ochiai choked out. Kiri smirked.

"Having second thoughts now?" Kiri laughed. It turned out, Narumi was more interested on how Kiri did it then how much Kanako had changed.

"…The first change…That change had already almost changed her into a different person…But, this…" Narumi said. He quickly grabbed Kiri off to discuss or rather, convince her to tell him her techniques. Ochiai stood there, watching them disappear into the crowd.

People all stopped to stare openly at the rare, red, butterfly amongst them. Kei quickly caught onto Kanako's uneasiness and grabbed her small hand. Their hands fit perfectly together, as if they were long lost puzzle pieces.

Kei darted through the crowd with Kanako tripping after him in her wooden sandals. They continued running until they reached the edge of the Festival where less people loitered around. He pulled her behind a big tent, obscuring them from scrutiny of the public.

Kanako gasped for breath and sat down on the ground. Kei looked stricken. "Kanako-chan! You're sitting on the ground! You'll ruin your dress!" Kei cried. Kanako looked surprised. The little boy quickly took off his kimono to let Kanako sit on. Thankfully, for both of them, he had been wearing a T-shirt and shorts under his kimono.

"Th-thank you…" Kanako blushed. Kei laughed.

"It's nothing! This is what a gentleman should do." he said. Kanako smiled back at him, then suddenly looked startled.

"What's wrong Kanako?" Kei asked.

"It's…It's…It's nothing." She said, hurriedly. Embarrassed at herself, she blushed and smiled even more.

"It must be something, I mean, it made you surprised." Kei replied, also smiling.

"Well, it's just that, I don't think I've ever shared a smile with a guy before…" she trailed off. Kei just laughed even more at the worried Kanako. "I'm—I'm sorry!" she apologized.

Kei continued laughing and waved away Kanako's apology. "Kanako-chan, you really are the funniest girl I've ever met." The pair continued talking and laughing together until the moon rose, signifying it was finally night. Light after light from the stands at the Festival came on, and even more people started streaming into the park where the Festival was being held.

Little children took little rice paper nets, trying to catch pretty goldfish. Couples wandered around, holding hands, and then later drifting off to more private places. Parents strolled around with their kids or just walked by themselves. Older people walked around slowly, stopping occasionally to see something interesting that a vendor had on the street. There were also many, many different foods to try.

But Kanako and Kei's hiding place remained hidden.

"Look, Kanako! The moon's coming up…" Kei said. He looked up dreamily. Kanako followed his gaze. They gazed together at the moon, but eventually their gazes fell on each other. The clamor of the Festival slowly died out to the beautiful girl and handsome boy. They only saw each other. They leaned closer, drinking in the other's details.

Finally, their lips touched together and everything exploded for the couple. It was nothing that they had ever experienced. It was nothing that they will ever know away from each other. During this, the wind started up again. Thousands of millions of small, crimson leaves fluttered up, wrapping Kanako and Kei in a flurry of red.

"I love you."

**R&R because I love you. Hehehehe. I don't know whether or not to continue this so... PM me. Or better yet, review.**


	2. Chapter 2

"U-um, Shopping?"

"Sure!"

"Ar-Are you absolutely sure, Kei-san?"

"Sure! Well, it's Thanksgiving and all, so why don't we go out and celebrate?"

"Um…I guess so." Kanako said shyly over the phone.

"Okay! We'll go after school tomorrow, okay?" Kei asked.

Kanako nodded before realizing Kei couldn't see her. "Yes!"

"Okay, well, I'll see you tomorrow, then." Kei said brightly before hanging up the phone. Kanako hung up to, excited for tomorrow and nervous as well.

xXxXxXx

"Um,um…K-Kei-san?"

"Ohh! Let's go to that shop over there!" Kei grabbed Kanako's hand as he ran toward a new sweet shop.

The people in the streets whispered behind their backs. Who IS that pretty girl and that cute guy? And just why did they just look so _good_ together?

"Welcome to La Madeline! How can I help you two little young ones on such a fine day?" An old man in a chef's uniform asked as they walked up to the store.

"Hey! Do you have any samples we could try out?"

"Of course! Right this way." The old man led them inside. The store was very cozy, with many shelves with jars on them. It seemed that every jar contained something different.

The old man looked around and rubbed his chin for awhile, looking thoughtful. He walked behind the large, wooden counter and bent down. Kei's gaze followed the man's movements. Kanako stood and looked around awkwardly.

The old man appeared again a few seconds and held something in a small wrapper in his hand. "Here we go." He said happily as he placed it gently in Kei's hand. Kei smiled back at him.

"Um…Um, K-Kei-san, maybe you…Um…Maybe you shouldn't?" Kanako's warning about taking food from strangers disappeared as soon as the candy was in Kei's mouth.

"Wow! This candy is amazing. What is this?" Keiasked, eyes shining.

"This is my secret recipe candy. It's been passed down in my family for years. I have French ancestors." The old man said proudly.

"Ahh, thank you so much!" Kei laughed. He quickly bought a bag much to the old man's delight.

"Come back often!" The old man called out as Kanako and Kei stepped out.

Kei was silent as he walked Kanako to her house. "Well, Ko-Ko, I leave you here!" Kei said brightly as he stood outside her house. Kanako blushed and hurriedly said bye before rushing into the house.

Kei waited until she was inside to leave. He left her front stairs and walked to the sidewalk. Kei looked back, and there she was, looking through the windows. Keilaughed out loud and waved to her before turning back around and running towards his own home. The sun had already started setting.

xXxXxXx

"Kiri-chan! Good morning." Kanako said as Kiri walked out of the Koshiba Beauty Salon.

"Morning." Kiri mumbled as she stumbled on the steps. She looked half awake.

"Geez, mussy head, you should really take better care of yourself." Narumi intoned as he walked up beside Kanako.

"Yes, he's right, Kiri-chan." Kanako said. Kiri opened her eyes and studied Kanako for a moment.

"I guess so." She said.

"Good morning everyone." Ochiai said as he arrived. He pointedly ignored Kiri and smiled at Kanako. The two girls both ignored him. Kei staggered up beside him, also still half asleep.

"…mor…ning…" Kei said, apparently completely exhausted.

"Really! Kei, do you and mussy head not sleep or something?" Narumi said. Kei didn't respond. He was leaning on Ochiai, snoring. Everybody chuckled a little.

Narumi finally sighed. "Well, we should hurry if we're going to make it to school on time." He walked over to Ochiai and picked up Kei easily and slung him on his right shoulder.

"Careful." Kiri warned Narumi through one eye. Narumi smiled and the five friends walked toward another promising day.

xXxXxXx

"Happy Turkey Day, everybody!" The teacher yelled as she entered the classroom that day. Many students straightened, afraid of being told off of slacking or sleeping in class.

Surprisingly, Kei's head stayed down. The teacher called attendance, but paused as she got to Kei's name.

"Minami, Kei…KEI MINAMI!" Narumi, seeing the teacher getting angry, quickly shook Kei awake from the back.

"Ahh, ehh?"

"Wake up, Kei!" Narumi whispered, just as the teacher swooped in.

"So, _Minami-san_, do you think you're so smart that you get to sleep in class?" She asked, her voice icy cold.

"I'm sorry, sensei. I spent all last night making something, I didn't have time to sleep." Kei said, embarrassed. The teacher's gaze softened.

"Eh, well, you shouldn't stay up so late next time, okay?" She said. Kei nodded, and tried his best for the rest of the period to keep from nodding off.

xXxXxXx

"You're homework's page 86, numbers 1 through 56. Class is dismissed." The teacher said as the bell rang, signifying lunch period.

Kiri yawned as she gathered her things and slipped them in her bag. Kanako walked over and the two exited the classroom together.

On their way outside, Narumi, Ochiai, and Kei joined them. They settled down in the middle of a field, to soak up as much of the sunshine as they could. For it was fall and very cold.

"Oh no!" Kanako uttered. "I forgot my jacket at home." She said, her face pale.

"Here, you can have mine." Kiri said, moving to unbutton hers.

"No! Take mine." Narumi said hurriedly, trying to take his off.

"Kanako-san, you should take mine, as mine is the--" Ochiai was cut off by Kei.

"Here." Kei said happily, handing Kanako his jacket. "I'm not cold." He said. Kanako blushed, bringing the color back into her pretty, little face.

"Th-Thank you so much." Kanako said.

"No problem. Oh, and there's another thing…" Kei suddenly got up and walked over to his bag. He squatted down, his face a mask of concentration.

He ruffled through his bag once, twice, and three times. His search became even more frantic until finally, triumph. "Here it is!" Kei victoriously held up a small brown bag. "Hmm, it looked larger last night. Anyway, this is for you, Kanako!" Kei said, handing her the bag.

"What is it?"

"Just something I made for you last night. It took me some time to get it right though…Look inside!" Kei said. Kanako obeyed and opened it. As soon as she saw it, she gasped. It was beautiful!

Kanakoslid the small pastry out of the paper bag into her hand. It fit perfectly, as though it were made for her hand. It was of a pink hue, with many red, orange, and pink flowers, sprinkles, and different edible ornaments on the top. In the middle of the pastry though, was s small crimson butterfly. It was so delicately made, if you examined it carefully, you could even see the butterfly's tiny, shining licorice eyes.

"This…This is?" Kanako said.

"Try it!" Kei said excitedly.

"I…I can't! It's too pretty to eat." Kanako said shyly. Kei laughed and gently took it form Kanako. He broke it into a few small pieces and placed one in Kanako's mouth.

She was blushing again. The pastry tasted like pure heaven. "What is this?" She asked, amazed.

"Remember the candy I bought at that new sweet shop just that other day?" Kei asked. Kanako nodded. "Well, I made the filling of this pastry from that candy."

"This is amazing!" Kanako said. This time, it was Kei's turn to blush.

"It's nothing really…" The two continued blushing, resulting in the Narumi and Kiri to burst into laughter, seeing their two faces bright red. Ochiai looked on sourly, not quite enjoying the happy aura.

xXxXxXx

**Sorry for long delay time! There'll be more to come if there are reviews. ^^**


	3. Chapter 3

**Urgh! I. Am. So. Sorry. For not updating. And making you wait a ridiculously long time. You can slap me. :( Really.**

**But please don't be mad. I reread Crimson Butterfly a few minutes ago and I fell in love with it once more. Then, I reread the reviews and that just spurred me towards chapter 3! (And it's a whooping 2000 words! Larger than ever! :O)**

**(You can throw something large, heavy, and bulky at me if you wish.)**

**Oh, and note in this chapter that "To-kun" is pronounced like "Toe-kun" or "Tou-kun". Just a heads up. :)**

**With no further ado, Enjoy!~**

The sun was shining, the birds chirping. It was another beautiful morning. Kanako sat quietly on a bench, reading a book. She had just come from the library. Although beautiful, it was still fall and rather cold. She'd remembered her jacket, but she still shivered.

Kanako looked up from her book as she heard a cry. A little boy had just ran past her until he tripped over a crack in the pavement and fell over. She quickly hurried over.

"A—Are you alright?" Kanako asked, concerned. The boy continued cry, grabbing a bloody knee. Kanako gulped. She usually fainted at the sight of blood. "I—It's okay. Don't worry, you'll be alright." She bravely helped the little boy back to her bench and quickly riffled through her bag. Pulling out a handkerchief, she kneeled down to help the boy. She half covered her eyes with one hand while she tried to clean up some of the blood with her other hand.

It didn't work. Kanako sighed and finally used both hands to tie the handkerchief firmly on the boy's knee. She then breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at the boy. He had stopped crying somewhere during her concentration. She laughed nervously.

"Do you feel a little better?" He nodded. Kanako took a closer look at him. _His eyes sort of looked like Kei's…_But the similarity ended there. The young boy had brown hair and didn't seem to love food quite as much as Kei. Kanako laughed a little. "Well, go on home. You should get your knee cleaned, then bound with a cleaner cloth." The boy nodded again, but said nothing. He stuck his thumb in his mouth and looked away.

"You…do know where your home is, right?" Kanako asked. Her question was answered by another nod. "Well…Here, I'll take you home, okay?" The boy didn't answer, but grabbed her hand and dragged her out the park.

xXxXxXx

Kanako knocked on the door. They had arrived at an apartment complex near the center of town. It was in a nice neighborhood which was very pretty with fountains and many trees. Nobody answered at first, so Kanako knocked again.

"Coming!" A familiar voice called out from inside. Kanako wrinkled her brow.

As the door swung open to reveal a dripping, orange-haired boy with just a towel on, Kanako gasped. The little boy beside ran inside quickly, leaving Kei and Kanako by themselves at the door.

"K-Kanako?"

"Y-yeah…I should leave or—"

"Wait, but you—"

"My books, they're still…"

"I…"

Complete silence ensued. Kei opened the door a bit further. "Come in?" He smiled. Kanako's already beet red face turned even redder. If that was possible. As she entered, she took careful care not to touch Kei, in case his loose towel fell off…

"I'm sorry to disturb you Kei-san…" Kanako said as soon as she was in the sitting room.

"Ahh, it's just Kei. And it's fine. I was just finishing in the shower." Kei smiled at her. A moment passed before he reacted to Kanako's looking away and turning red. "Oh! I should go put some clothes on, huh?" Kanako nodded quickly. Kei laughed and retreated back to his room.

As he left, she looked around the home. It wasn't large, but it wasn't small either. The room she was in was decorated with different things in a totally unique way. There was a whole shelf filled with different figurines. She stepped over to look more closely.

"I'm back!" Kei called out. Kanako leaped back from the shelf. Unfortunately, there was a chair behind her, causing her to tangle her legs in the legs of the chair. She half fell until a strong pair of hands caught her. "Wow, you're light, Ko-Ko!" Kanako hurried to stand up, but she couldn't quite stop herself from noticing how soft Kei's hands were... Or how cute he looked... Or how nice he smelled... Or…

"Kanako! Don't faint!" Kei said quickly as he caught her again. This time, he carried her over to the couch. He frowned and quickly ran into the kitchen. He came back armed with some ice water and a towel. Kei pulled over a chair to sit beside Kanako. He poured some water into Kanako's mouth, causing her to choke on it.

"I'm sorry!" Kei and Kanako yelled at the same time. They looked at each other. Kei was biting his lip looking really worried while Kanako was hyperventilating.

"I'm really, really sorry!" Kei whispered.

"It's…It's not your fault…" Kanako said, smiling a little. Kei hurried back to the kitchen to get the two of them some tea. While he was away, the little boy who Kanako had first met that day came into the room again.

He watched Kanako with a cocked head, his little eyes following her every move and taking in Kanako's features. Kanako laughed nervously. "Uh-um…Hey there…"

Kei came back in the room. He saw the small figure standing by the door way and his eyes lit up. "To-kun!"

"To-kun?" Kanako intoned. She looked questioningly at the little boy.

"To-kun." Kei nodded. "Wait a second…" Kei's eyes narrowed. "You ran out of the house while I was showering!" The little brown haired boy pouted. Kei sighed. And then Kanako suddenly reacted.

"We have to clean his knee!" She said. Kei looked at her and scratched his head. "He was in the park and…and he tripped."

Kei looked at To-kun and then at his knee. "Eep." Kei hurried over to examine it. "Aww…Poor To-kun…" As he unwrapped the handkerchief from To-kun's knee, it was still a little bloody, but a scab had already formed. Kei hurriedly wiped off the dry blood with a wet napkin.

"A-Are you two…related?" Kanako asked. Kei looked up.

"Eh? Me and To-kun?" Kei asked. Kanako nodded. "Yup. Me and him are cousins." Kei said as he rubbed his head against the little boy's. "Let's get you some snacks, okay?" Kei said as he led him to the kitchen. Kanako smiled after him. _So that explains the resemblance_.

While Kanako heard the rustling of plastic bags in the kitchen, the door of Kei's house door opened and a familiar dark-haired glasses boy walked in.

"Kei!" Ochiai yelled. Kanako gaped. Kei led To-kun back into the sitting room to see Ochiai and Kanako staring at each other.

"K-Kanako?" Ochiai asked with one eyebrow raised. Kei cocked his head. They were still staring at each other. He walked over to Ochiai and waved a hand in his face.

"Is Occhi still home?" Kei yelled in his ear. Ochiai jumped away.

"What was that for?!" He asked.

"You were staring too hard at Kanako."

"Who said I couldn't?" Ochiai retorted.

"Kanako doesn't like it!"

"Well, maybe she didn't mind."

"Well…Well…Um…" Kei couldn't come up with a comeback. He opened a bag of chips and started munching. Ochiai gave him a look, then sighed.

"I just came over to drop off some stuff you left in the SP room." He said as he hefted a large box.

"Oh. Thanks Occhi." Kei smiled. He offered Ochiai the chips, but he politely declined. Kanako and To-kun had watched the whole scene unfold quietly.

"Anyway, you haven't told me why Kanako's at your house yet."

"You pass by Kiri's house really often, so why can't Kanako—"

"That's different." Ochiai quickly interrupted. Kanako looked at Ochiai.

"You…pass by Kiri's often?"

"I…I just…It's not like that." Ochiai tried to explain.

"Ok." Kanako said gently.

"…I should go." He coughed and looked away.

"See you later, Ochiai." Kei said as he shut the door behind him.

As Ochiai left the Minami's house, he felt a sense of loss, though he couldn't quite understand why. On his way home, he passed by the Koshiba Salon again. He could see Kiri from the outside, cutting hair casually with her hair tied back and wearing that same old baseball cap. He frowned. The old attraction was there, but…different. He shook himself and walked off…

Meanwhile, Kei had settled back on his chair. To-kun had also left to go to back into a bedroom. They were alone again.

"Kanako-chan…" He started. Kanako looked up at him.

"Yes?"

"I-I have a question to ask you." Kei said nervously. Kanako studied his face, but her glance only took in his bright, soft, fluffy, hair that was…Wait, what was she thinking? Kanako tried to clear her head.

"What's the question?"

"Do you…Um…Do you... still…" Kei stuttered. Kanako looked at him. "More tea?" He laughed weakly. Kanako frowned. "Right. I was just wondering… doyoustilllike—?"

Just as he said the last word, a car horn blared outside.

Kanako gave him a confused look. "Do I…What?" Kei sighed with a sad face.

"Never mind."

"But the—"

"Don't worry about it." He interrupted. Kanako was even more confused now.

"O-Okay…" As the silence settled around them once more, the front door opened again.

"Kei-kun, honey! I'm back!" An unfamiliar bright and cheery voice called. Kanako and Kei both looked up.

A really pretty girl wearing a short mini-skirt and tank-top stood in the doorway. "Ahh! Hime-chan, aren't you cold?" Kei fretted. He hurried over to her and closed the door behind her.

"Not at all when I have _you_!" She said happily. She embraced Kei in a hug and kissed him straight on the lips.

"Hime-chan!" Kei protested. She only giggled as she released him.

Kanako stared. "Who is _that_?" she thought.

Apparently, Hime-chan thought the exact same thing when she saw Kanako. "Kei-kun, who's that girl on your couch?" She asked, sounding hurt.

"That's Kanako." Kanako noted that Kei didn't call her Ko-Ko. And she didn't quite have enough courage to ask Kei the same question the daring girl had asked him.

The strange girl twirled her blonde hair around her fingers. "But I thought that we were going to have some _alone time_ this afternoon." She pouted. Kanako's jaw dropped a little.

"Alone time?" Kei asked, scratching his head.

"You look so cute without your hat, Kei-Kei!" She giggled as she stroked his head. Kei reacted like a cat and purred, which triggered even more giggles from Hime-chan. Kei then tackled her, tickling her and driving her to the ground.

As they were messing around, To-kun had silently came back into the room. He motioned for the stunned, but also annoyed, Kanako to come with him.

"Who-Who is that?" Kanako whispered to To-kun once they were in a bedroom.

"That's Kei's 'Hime-chan'."

"Kei's-?" Kanako was still so surprised, she didn't even realize it was the first time To-kun had spoken. He nodded and sat on the floor. "And what's she to Kei-kun?"

"She's his girlfriend."

**Haha, yes! Another cliffhanger! Now you'll **_**have**_** to review! Muahahaha—!!**

**-slap-**

**Ow! Jeez! Why'd you slap me? Because…They don't have to review? Whaaaat? Aww, man!**

**Anyway… look forward to Chapter 4… -…mumblemumblemumble…-**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4. :) I want to dedicate this chapter to Kei Minami. He's been going through some serious stuff which you will find about in this chapter. ;D **

**If you have suggestions or questions, just PM me or review me. If you do, I may even mention you in the next chapter. Me and whatthefritopie became friends in this way. xD**

**(Anyway, this chapter was completed with advice from whatthefritopie and encouragement from Ohime x3. So go thank them by reviewing Crimson Butterfly and visiting their stories and profiles.)**

**Without further ado, enjoy!**

Ochiai sat down in his chair with a light _fump_. Spinning the chair around, he faced toward his large desk in his room. It was bare, except for his cell phone lying loyally next to his hand. He picked it up and flipped it open to the face of Kanako. He closed it again. And then opened it once more. The picture was now of Kiri. Ochiai sighed.

"Who?" He mused aloud. Just as he said the word, his door opened.

"It's me, Kei." Ochiai nearly fell out of his chair in surprise.

"What are you doing in my _room_?"

"Well, your mom said I could come on up." Ochiai frowned at Kei. He glanced at his fallen cell phone on the ground.

"Here, lemme get that for you." Kei said as he reached down to get the phone. He flipped it open. "Did you get that hamster wallpaper I—?" He slammed it back shut and looked at Ochiai.

"Why do you keep on doing this to me?" Kei whispered as he fell to his knees.

xXxXxXx

The sun was bright, scorching. There was a bitter taste in the air as well as two kids on the playground.

"Go out with me?" The boy with the hat asked. The girl beside him blushed and tried to turn away, but the boy grabbed her shoulder and turned her towards him. The girl's pink hairclip glinted in the harsh sunlight. "Well?"

"But-But I can't. I mean, me and Kei-kun—" As the scene unfolded on the grass, a little orange-haired watched quietly from the bushes.

"Me? Or him? Choose." The boy standing on the grass asked again. He stared directly into the girl's eyes and stroked her long, blonde hair.

"U-Um…you." The girl whispered and blushed furiously. The boy smirked and took off his hat. The boy in the bushed gaped. As the new couple walked away arm in arm, he stayed behind in the sweltering park. He stayed in the bush. He stayed in his dark despair. His heart was a storm of shattered glass. He took a small pink hairclip from his pocket and placed it carefully on the ground.

"I guess this is goodbye."

xXxXxXx

As Kei dropped onto the floor, Ochiai rushed to help him up.

"What do you mean? Do what to you?" Kei didn't respond but continued crying. He ran out of the room, out of the house, and out into the street…

xXxXxXx

The door closed and locked behind him with a loud and somehow unsympathetic _click_. He slid down the door and sat down on the ground. He reached into a shelf by the door and pulled out headphones. He slipped them on and lost himself in his music.

xXxXxXx

"Kei! Stop slacking! What's wrong with you? Look at the nails you just did. They look like a four-year-old kid did them." Narumi growled. Kei looked at him sadly.

"I'm sorry." Narumi sensed his change in disposition and sighed.

"What's wrong?" Narumi asked him. Kei shook his head and looked at his feet as he sat down on the ground.

"Nothing's wrong."

"Well, obviously something's wrong if you're not paying attention to your work." Narumi said.

"He never pays attention to his work." Ochiai added.

"What do you know?" Kei suddenly said to Ochiai. He coughed.

"I was just saying that if you—"

"Stop. I don't want help from a guy like you." Kei said angrily.

Ochiai narrowed his eyes. "This isn't about your not paying attention at all, is it?"

"Nice to know you still have a brain." Kei retorted. Narumi raised his eyebrows.

"Kei, calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Kei yelled at him. Narumi's eyes only got bigger.

"My brain? My—? Well, excuse you, but Kanako was first to confess she liked _me_, carrot-top."

"But you like Kiri, so Kanako shouldn't be _any _of your business, glass-eyes."

"You don't need to worry about my personal life, thank you!"

"Just…stay away from Kanako." Kei said dangerously, punctuating his whispered threat by slamming the door behind him as he left the SP room.

"What…the _hell_ just happened?" Narumi asked with his jaw half dropped. He had never seen Kei go off like that. He didn't even think Kei was capable of that. Narumi glanced at a pink Ochiai, still staring at the closed door.

Ochiai ran to gather his things and grabbed his coat to rush out the SP room, also slamming the door behind him. "Hey! If you break that door, you're gonna have to pay for it!" Narumi yelled.

xXxXxXx

Kei was running now, running in the rain. He finally reached a large home on a well-known street. He dashed up the steps and knocked on the door. A heavy-set man in a tuxedo opened the door.

"Is Bonnie home?" Kei asked him. The man nodded and led Kei inside to a huge pink room. As soon as Kei entered, the man closed the door behind him.

"H-Hime-chan?" Kei called out.

"Who is it?"

"Kei." A head peeked out from the bathroom.

"Oh, come in." Kei stepped in farther into her room. He looked uncomfortable and haggard. As the blonde girl came out from the bathroom, Kei looked up from his feet. "Kei-kun." She smiled sweetly at him. Even after all these years, she was still as beautiful as that summer that…

Kei coughed. "Um, I here for…the…"

"Money?" She asked directly. Kei nodded with a red face. "You know, even now, I still don't why you need it." Kei looked at her.

"You…don't need to know." Kei said. Bonnie slid closer to him.

"Why not? The only reason you're going out with me is for the money, right?" She cornered him with her bed behind him.

"It-it's not like that!" He said quickly.

"Then what _is_ it like?" She whispered. Kei shook his head. She took a wad of paper bills from her pocket and placed them gently in his hand. "I thought you were different. You can go." Kei tried to smile at her, but it was a wasted effort as she was no longer looking at him.

"Different?"

"I have money. Guys like that. So why do you think I don't have a boyfriend anymore?" She said bluntly. Kei frowned.

"I-I'm sorry." Kei quickly left to go back home. Bonnie lay on her bed delicately.

"I…I really thought he was different." She whispered into a pillow. She laughed softly as a small tear rolled down her smooth cheek. Her hand instinctively reached up and touched two small pink hairclips in her hair.

xXxXxXx

Kei was home again. To-kun had left for home some time ago, so he was alone again. He was always alone. And sometimes, being alone can be tiring. When someone knocked on the door, Kei looked up from his cooking in the kitchen to get the door.

"Hi." Kanako said as the door opened. Kei looked surprised once more.

"What are you doing here?"

"I just came to see how you were doing." Kanako said bravely. Kei nodded and let her in. She came in and sat down on the couch. Kei sat beside her and rested his head on her shoulder. Kanako immediately turned red and started blubbering. She turned rigid until she felt something wet on her shoulder. Kei was crying.

"Kei-kun! What's wrong?" Kanako was horrified. Had she made him cry? Kei was still weeping. Kanako dug in her pocket and found a small handkerchief and wiped Kei's face with it. Kei stopped bawling and was reduced to sniffling. "Are you…ok?" Kanako whispered.

Kei nodded. "Kanako-chan…It's just that, sometimes, it's just so _hard_ to put on a fake smile for the world… and pretend nothing's wrong." Kei sniffed. Kanako patted his head on her shoulder.

"Yeah, I know." She said gently, stroking his hair.

"Because something is wrong! Everything's wrong…" Kanako nodded. "You…You shouldn't even be here." Kei said.

"Why not?" Kanako asked quietly, still trying to calm him down.

"I don't deserve you." Kei started crying again. Kanako didn't know what to do.

"Kei, it doesn't matter!" She said.

"But it does."

"No…No, because…because I've fallen in love with you."

xXxXxXx

**So that's the end of Chapter 4. Sorta short, eh?**

**Some extra notes:**

**1. Hime-chan's actual name is Bonnie. She's very rich and stuff.**

**2. Kei lives alone. His parents left him at a young age. **

**3. The reason why Kanako is so confident at Kei's door is because she rehearsed those lines. xDD**

**Well, there will be a very soon to come Chapter 5 if there are reviewers. :) Recommend the story to your friends, post the link somewhere or something. :P That's what I did with this poem that was simply AMAZING. But then again, this story isn't amazing. ._. Whatever.**

**Anyway, again: If you have suggestions or questions, just PM me or review me. If you do, I may even mention you in the next chapter. –winkwink- XDD**

**Well…R&R! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5… Wow….This came out faster than I expected. Considering how it wasn't getting the most hits. XDD It's a short chapter, but enjoy anyway. **

Kei's eyes widened. Kanako finally wrapped her mind around what she had said.

"I'm sorry! What I meant was-" But before she could apologize, Kei had wrapped her in a bear hug.

"Say it again."

"B-but…"

"Please?" Kei pulled away and looked into Kanako's eyes. Kanako blushed.

"Um…I like you…very much." Kanako whispered. Kei smiled.

"But that wasn't what you had said before." Kei said. Kanako shook her head, her face still red. Kei laughed, wiping away his tears and greeting the world with a real smile once again.

xXxXxXx

"Hmm…Hmm…." Kei was humming under his breath as he headed over to the table for lunch. Narumi looked at him with a funny look.

"Why were you so angry yesterday?" He whispered. Kei turned to him.

"I wasn't angry." Narumi was just about to reply until a teacher interrupted him. She was standing on a chair and yelling to get the attention of the talkative teenagers.

"Next Friday is the school dance. So-" Before she had a chance to finish, the whole cafeteria erupted in whispers.

"Naru-Naru's gonna take Kiri to the dance!" Kei yelled. Narumi glared so fiercely at him even Kiri woke up.

"Wha-?" She asked.

As the students continued to talk, Kei locked eyes with Ochiai. The taller boy narrowed his eyes at Kei. Narumi slapped Kei on the back of his head, breaking the eye contact of Ochiai and Kei.

"You're crazy!" Narumi accused Kei. Kiri yawned again and got up to go buy another juice box. Narumi immediately took note and got up to go with her.

Kei looked around. "I wonder where Kanako is…" He mused aloud. He hadn't seen her all day and was starting to worry.

Narumi and Kiri came back, Narumi looking very happy and Kiri contentedly sipping her juice box. Kei immediately said, "I told you so."

"Told me what?" Narumi asked.

"That you were going to the dance with Kiri-chan. Am I right or am I right?" Kei laughed. Narumi turned red and looked for an escape. Ochiai narrowed his eyes at Narumi too.

"Koshiba-san?"

"Well, he told me he would buy a month's supply of snacks for me if I would go to the dance with him, so I said yes." Kiri said monotonously. Ochiai's jaw nearly dropped.

"He bribed you?" Ochiai asked unbelievingly.

"I have to go there to help out Kanako with the decorations, so why would I say no to his offer if I was going anyway?" Kiri shrugged. Ochiai hadn't known this. He had thought he would have a chance to ask her…But there was always Kanako…

"I'm going to the library." He announced, but no one paid any attention to him. Narumi was trying to steal some of Kiri's chips and Kei was…gone?

Ochiai stood up hurriedly. Where was Kei? He ran out of the cafeteria, looking around frantically for the short, orange-haired boy. SP room? Classroom? Even less likely, the library? Ochiai looked around the school, but couldn't locate Kei anywhere.

xXxXxXx

"Kanako, will you go to the dance with me?" Kei asked. He coughed and readjusted his hat. "Kanako, will you go to the dance with me?" He said again, in a deeper voice. "Aww, man. This isn't working out." He finally sighed. Giving up on practicing his lines, he headed out of the bathroom.

Kei looked around the school for Kiri. He found her in the cafeteria outside and went to ask her something. "Kiri! Will you please help me ask Kanako to the dance?" He begged. Kiri stared back at him, sipping her juice box.

"What?" Kiri asked.

"I said, will you help-"

"No, I heard what you just said. I was just… Never mind. Why do you want to ask her to the dance?"

"Because… Because… Kanako is my girlfriend." Kei said, looking away.

"Well, then, that shouldn't be a problem, now should it?"

"The problem is… I haven't quite asked her out yet."

"…So she isn't actually your girlfriend."

"Sorta."

"Right."

As the two kept on talking, time kept on ticking.

The sun was setting and students were heading home. "Kanako!" Ochiai called out. He stumbled up to meet her, catching up from a block away.

"Oh. Hello there, Ochiai-senpai." She said stiffly, continuing to walk along the small canal.

"I was wondering why I didn't see you at the cafeteria today."

"I stayed at school."

"Why?" Kanako gave him a look. "Right. Not my business." It wasn't like Ochiai to back off, but he needed Kanako in the best mood to spring the question.

Suddenly, Ochiai grabbed Kanako's hand and ran down under the bridge so they were shielded from prying eyes. He grabbed her shoulder and pinned her against the wall, leaning over her.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"Haven't you waited for this all your life?" Ochiai whispered in her ear. Kanako struggled against Ochiai's grasp. She was cornered.

"No! Not like this." Kanako said fiercely. "Let me go." Just as she pushed Ochiai off, she caught sight of someone watching them from the other bridge. She gasped. Kei had seen what had happened. Ochiai smirked.

**=_= This is so short…Anyway, another cliffhanger! Sorta cliché though. What do you think Kanako will say? What do you think will happen in the next chapter? R&R and a much longer Chapter 6 shall appear before your eyes!~**


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